Shanghai officials trial new ‘instant testing system’ for adulteration

The so-called “instant testing system​” can identify clenbutoral, a animal feed additive that is used to promote leaner meat and is banned for human consumption, among other toxic ingredients.

In a bid to make food safety tracking more efficient in the long-term, inspectors will collate the results in a central monitoring system. This instant testing has already been used to test dozens of local food producers, restaurants and markets, and officials are also offering  free tests to private consumers.

Peng Shaojie, an official with the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration, told Shanghai Daily​ that the monitoring system allowed for a large amount of data to be processed in a more timely manner compared to previous testing methods.

Results including adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and humiture, a combined measurement of temperature and humidity, are also sent to the platform.

Food officials also hope to shorten the time taken to test for “fake meat” from several days to 12 hours through the new system.

While it is currently only subject to trial, the system is expected to be implemented next year, Peng said.

The testing time of banned substances, such as malachite green dye, a synthetic dye found in fish, will also be shortened thanks to new research conducted by the administration, said Peng.

Food scandals have shocked consumers in the past, most notably when six babies died from tainted baby formula in 2008. In Shanghai and its surrounding area, 16,000 diseased pig carcasses were found floating down the Huangpu and its tributaries in 2013.

Smaller scandals are also common, for instance restaurants which have labeled a mix of duck meat and sheep fat as mutton.

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Nescafé expands e-commerce strategy with Alibaba deal​

In a move to boost its online sales in China, Nestlé has entered into a partnership with e-commerce major Alibaba to trade on its Tmail.com platform.​

Nestlé has introduced a range of products including Nido milk powder, Damak chocolate and Nescafé Dolce Gusto BMW MINI coffee machines on China’s largest brand retailing website, with a view to picking up millions of new customers from rural areas in particular.

This is the latest e-commerce move by Nestlé, which already sells products online through its Nespresso boutique, and in October began selling super-premium chocolate brand Cailler using Amazon as the primary retailer.

Sebastien Szczepaniak, Nestlé’s e-commerce vice-president, said the company’s online sales have been growing by more than 25% per year.

“Moreover, offline purchases are increasingly influenced by what we see online, so brand building has gone beyond having good television advertising and nice packaging. Our ability to build brands on any touchpoint, be it digital or analogue, is vital​," he said.

Speaking to FoodNavigator-Asia’s sister site, BeverageDaily, a Nestlé China spokesperson elaborated: “Online brand exposure is critical for brand building​. Firstly it can reach a massive number of consumers because the daily traffic of major e-commerce platforms can be over 100m. Secondly it is very targeted because big data can help an e-commerce platform to screen out the targeted consumers​.”

As part of the partnership, Nestlé and Alibaba will collaborate on chaoshi.tmall.com, tmall.com, tmall.hk, cun.taobao.com and ju.taobao.com.

Authorities investigate illegal use of poppy seeds by restaurants​

Dozens of restaurants have been investigated for the addition of poppy capsules and other illegal ingredients to food following a nationwide sting by China’s food safety regulator.​

The China Food and Drug Administration tested 35 restaurants and snack bars across the country last week. The owners of 25 of these were subsequently transferred to the public security department for criminal investigation, and five will be prosecuted, said the CFDA. The remaining 10 restaurants are still under investigation by the administration.

According to Xinhua, China’s state news service, it is an "open secret​" that poppy-derived powder is being used as a "secret ingredient​" at some small restaurants in dishes or hotpots to improve the taste.

However, the ingredient is controlled as a narcotic under the belief that long-term consumption of poppy capsules can lead to addiction, damage the nervous system and cause chronic intoxication.

Adding poppy capsules to food is prohibited by China's food safety law, and the government has taken a "zero tolerance​" policy toward violations.

Last June, two managers of a restaurant in Hubei province were arrested on suspicion of adding opium poppy products to dishes.

The sting is part of a visible move over recent month by food authorities to intensify their supervision and inspection of restaurants and impose tougher penalties on violators.